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helhas3letters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Alcohol
michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Passing is a thing that happened and I'm sure there are still many, many quadroons and hexadecaroons walking around without a clue. I've always felt sympathy for the people who passed, and this book definitely gave me a new / another understanding. (I mean, who can be mad at you for wanting better for your life and your family?) To be moved so much by a book show just how good it is. That being said though I do not feel sympathy for Stella!
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Dementia, Murder, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Deadnaming, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic
glammster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Transphobia, Dementia, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Dysphoria
Graphic description of lynchingcheerstochels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Hate crime, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, and Classism
bethsbookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow - I loved, loved, loved this book.
Things I loved:
🪴 The writing!! The first thing that pulled me in was the writing. From the first page, I was hooked. From the first chapter, I was emotionally invested. As they say, the characters leaped off the page, and I felt like I was really living their lives with them. The writing is simple, yet rich, and has some stunning and beautiful details. I underlined so many quotes. For instance, "Now, this was comfort - a languid morning spent floating across a swimming pool, a two-story house with cabinets always filled with food, a chestful of toys for her daughter, a bookshelf that held an entire encyclopedia set. This was comfort, no longer wanting anything."
🪴 Speaking of the characters, they were vivid and dimensional and complex and somehow yet, lovable. I understood all of their reasoning and decisions; their motivations and traumas were so thorough. I loved how they all contrasted each other and complemented each other at the same time. The entire cast was so great, even the minor side characters. I could seriously read a whole series about each character.
🪴 The sisterhood relationship between Desiree and Stella. They were polar opposites, but not in a way that felt lazy or stereotypical. One was loud, one was quiet, but they changed and shifted as time moved along. Their relationship was codependent yet completely independent at the same time. They longed for each other and needed each other but also required space from one another to grow. Despite them being apart for most of the book, as a reader, you feel like you're reading about them side by side. The author so fluidly flipped between the two in a way that felt so natural yet so fitting to the story.
🪴 The exploration and portrayal of race. This book exposes both race and what it means to be a victim of it. But it also exposes colourism within the Black community and how people treat each other depending on the various skin tones. Stella and Desiree are both light-skinned Black women with the possibility to pass as white. Stella does, but Desiree doesn't. I can understand both women. One wants to escape racism and live a privileged life; the other wants to be true to herself. Both are valid, and it's racism's fault that this difficult choice exists in the first place. At the end of the day, identity is something we can control slightly, but our roots and true selves will always squeeze through the cracks our masks leave behind.
🪴 The theme of motherhood. Stella and Desiree aren't perfect mothers, but the theme of nature vs. nurture is so poignant yet subtle. I really liked taking notes on this throughout and noticing little things the author did to portray this.
I do think everyone will love something about this book. I hope you pick it up!
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
quinn12_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
marissasa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
journicanread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, Dementia, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
sib_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexism, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism